"You look so cute, Kaho-chan!"
"No, wait, the other outfit was much better!"
"Mio, let's just look for more clothes!"
Hino stared at her reflection in the mirror, chewing her lip. It was the day of her date with Hihara-senpai—her first date with anyone, really—and she had turned to her friends Mio, Nao, and Amou to help her. They had immediately agreed to help her, squealing about things like corsages and limousines—why would there be corsages and limos? It was just a date, not prom or anything.
Hino sighed to herself. She and her friends were in her room, picking out the right outfit for her. They had gotten there at 9 in the morning, and now it was 11, and Hino was still outfit-less. It's my own fault, asking them for help, she thought, turning away from her reflection to look at the three other girls crowding around her closet. Hino thought they looked a bit like hens pecking at chicken feed on the ground, the way her friends' necks were bent down over the drawers.
(flashback)
Besides, it can't end as bad as what happened between me and Tsukimori.
"Ano, Hihara-senpai," Hino knocked on the door to his room. He immediately turned to face her, half a cupcake still in his mouth.
"Mmpph?"
It was the first time Hino had ever been inside Hihara's and Tsukimori's room at the cabin. One side of the room was definitely Tsukimori's, from the way his bed was made with hospital corners to the orderly arrangement of things on his bedside table. Hihara's part of the room, however, was definitely…male. His bags lay open; packs of instant noodles and potato chip bags spilling out, and on his unmade bed were clothes, haphazardly strewn about. Hihara noticed her staring, blushed, and said quickly, "I'm packing, that's why it's messy."
"Oh. Okay. Uh, Hihara-senpai…about what you said a while ago…" Hino turned red, embarrassed at the conversation.
"I-its okay. I understand. You probably prefer someone…someone more mature, like Tsuchiura or Yunoki or Tsukimori..."
"Hihara-senpai, I WILL go out with you…just to try it out," she said slowly, as though she were trying to tell herself that, instead of telling it to him.
"Really?!" His eyes shone, and he leapt up, the chair falling to the floor with a thud. But he didn't care. Kaho was going to go out with him!
"Hino,"
A guy's voice made her look up from the table, where she was writing some things in her notebook.
"Tsuchiura-kun, hey," she said.
"You're going out with Hihara." It came out like an accusation, and she winced. What was wrong with her going on a date with Hihara-senpai, anyway? It was just one date.
"Yeah, so?"
"I thought you were a Tsukimori fan," Tsuchiura continued to plow ahead tactlessly, even though he knew he should stay away from a topic as sensitive as Tsukimori Len. He couldn't help it, though.
As soon as he, Yunoki, and Tsukimori had come back from skiing, Hihara had bounded up to them and whispered excitedly, "I'm going on a date with Kaho-chan!" The guys' reactions were all different. Yunoki smiled cheerfully, even though he wasn't really pleased. Tsukimori continued to stare impassively, saying, "So?" The bewildered expression in his eyes, though, betrayed him. Tsuchiura was confused and jealous, the strange mix of emotions new to him. Confused because he knew Hino liked Tsukimori, jealous that Hihara, and not he, had gotten a date with the red-haired girl.
Hino stared at him, surprised at his rudeness. "Well, I thought, if things aren't going to work out between the two of us…I might as well try to forget him," she managed to say.
He looked at her as though he wanted to say more, and he did want to tell Hino something else. He wanted to tell her what Yunoki had told him, about Tsukimori's attitude toward music and everyone else. He didn't though. Tsuchiura stalked off to his room, preoccupied with her problems.
(end flashback)
"Here, Kaho-chan, try this on!!"
Mio held out a 2 hangers, and shoved into Hino's arms a few extra accessories.
The violinist dazedly walked into her bathroom, still wondering if her decision to date Hihara was a good one.
She walked out of the bathroom in a crisp white sleeveless top with lace ruffles and a tomboyish pair of beige cargos. A light pink cardigan went over the top, and a thin silver necklace with a G-Clef hung from her small wrist.
"Oh, that's the perfect outfit, Kaho-chan! Wait, let me take a few pictures!" Amou said, already snapping away.
"You look so pretty, Kaho," Nao said, smiling. Mio nodded furiously.
"Arigato, Mio, Nao, Amou," Hino said sincerely. She may not have agreed to this date wholeheartedly, but she was truly grateful for her friends. They seemed to be enjoying this more than she, and Hino hated to be a wet blanket.
"Oh, Kaho, look at the time! You're gonna be late for your date!"
When Hino arrived at the park where she and Hihara had agreed to meet, 5 minutes late, the trumpet player was already there, nervously checking his watch every 5 seconds. Hihara was dressed more carefully for the occasion, in a graphic T-shirt and a black blazer over it. He wore his 'expensive jeans', and his best pair of sneakers. Hihara's usually wild hair was a bit more tamed with a bit of gel, and in his left hand was a bouquet of flowers.
He does look pretty good, mused Kaho. Maybe he would be a good enough replacement for Tsukimori.
Baka. What are you doing? You should be ashamed of yourself, Kaho, for using Hihara-senpai like that. Her inner voice berated her, and Hino instantly felt guilty. Besides, you think HE can compete with Tsukimori?
"Kaho-chan!" Hihara spotted her, and a wave of relief instantly washed over him. She hadn't stood him up, after all.
"Gomenasai, Hihara-senpai," Hino jogged up to him, red curls gleaming in the afternoon sun. "Sorry for being a few minutes late. I lost track of time."
"Oh, that's okay," he quickly reassured her. "I had not been waiting long, anyway. These are for you, by the way." He gave her the bouquet of flowers, which Hino shyly accepted with thanks.
"So, where are we going?"
"Oh, I thought we would go to the local carnival. I already bought us tickets. Is that okay with you, Kaho-chan?"
"C-carnival?" The same carnival I went to with Tsukimori and Tsuchiura and his ex? The same carnival where Tsukimori held my hand in the haunted house? The same carnival where he offered to protect me from the fake monsters himself?
"I-is something wrong, Kaho-chan? Don't you want to go to the carnival? I was asking Tsukimori-kun for ideas on where to take you to, and he told me that you'd probably enjoy the carnival."
"I-ie, nothing's wrong. I like carnivals." Hino felt a flare of anger when she discovered that Tsukimori had suggested the carnival. Up till that point, she had still kept hoping that Tsukimori would stop being so stupid, so mean, but, apparently, he was making it very clear to her that he didn't want to be associated to her any longer. No more special places, no more special moments. No more. Okay, that's the way he wants it, that's the wey he'll get it.